1. Field
The present application relates to a subject tracking apparatus, an imaging apparatus, and a subject tracking method, which perform subject tracking.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been developed various techniques for tracking a desired subject captured in an image based on image information (e.g., color information, difference from a background, motion vector, etc.) using images picked up continuously.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-309746 discloses a technique capable of tracking a subject accurately by calculating a tracking object region by a region tracking method based on color information when a situation is under a condition that a region tracking method based on a feature point cannot be applied.
However, the tracking method of the conventional technique is appropriate or not depending on a situation of a subject to be tracked (e.g., case of a subject moving widely at random, case of a subject having color similar to that in a part of a background, etc.). Accordingly, a desired subject sometimes cannot be securely tracked even when one tracking method is used first and another tracking method is used in a case in which the situation comes under the condition that the first tracking method cannot be applied as in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-309746, as well as when only a particular tracking method is used.